Hard Wiring Radar Detector

[toyotarkeener]

After my last class today I am going to hard wire my radar detector into my car. I know people here have done it, and I am not sure what to wire it into. I am just planning on using wiretaps. I will probably pick up a testor to see which wires are hot when the car is on, and not when it is off and just tap it into that instead of running it to a fuse in the panel. Any ideas on how to cleanly wire this? Anybody have pics? I want to run it right below my rear view mirror, but dont want the wire just dangling there.

I did a search, but most people recommended wiring it directly to the Cig lighter, but my cig lighter is not connected, and the harness is not even there.

[VS Celica GTS]

That's exactly how I'm doing it. I cut off the cig adapter and there is only a positive and negative wire inside the hose. I'm wiring positive to my ignition wire... right behind the CD player, and the ground to well, any grounding spot or wire. I'm using wire taps as well and running the wire behind the healdiner and panels, then behind the dash. Good luck and if you need any help or have questions, let me know. My email is JuliaRonay@cox.net. I check that more often then my PM's here.

[toyotarkeener]

thanks, when i get it installed i will post back and let you guys know how it goes. I think I am just going to try to find a wire in my headliner to splice, i have a sunroof and the dome lights.

[Jackman00GTS]

If you splice it to the hot side of your dome light, the radar detector will remain on when the car is off and drain your battery.

[VS Celica GTS]

Hmm, I never thought about tapping into the moon roof... that sounds a lot easier since it's closer. I'm going to go meter them right now. If you find out which wire before I do, let me know which wire it is when you find it, otherwise I'll let you know. I don't plan on tapping a constant tho. I think that's what you're doing too...

[2way]

I did that (dome light) on my Avalon... & if you do forget to shut it off... it WILL eventually drain your batt. You can run down pillar post & tap into cig lighter positive or use a "fusetap" off a fuse that's off the Aux relay (either switches off w/ignition).

[VS Celica GTS]

Well I just did mine and ended up wiring it to the remote wire behind my CD player and just ran the wire with a fishing tool behind the dash, up the pillar, and then behind the headliner. Only took about an hour and it works perfectly. I ended up grounding it to the screw that holds the metal plate in for the moonroof. Good luck with yours and let me know where you end up wiring it to. :)

[toyotarkeener]

ok, just wired it, I just ended up wiring it to the dome light, but its no big deal because I have to take it out of my window everynight anyway because I am parked in my school lot and stuff gets stolen all the time. So it shouldnt drain the battery. i think I used the same ground as you VS, metal plate that goes right into the roof behind all of the dome light plastics.

[toyotarkeener]

How is this as far as placement goes, too high up? Dont mind the dude in the mirror.

http://www.vzwpix.com/mi/62127253_191858043_0.jpeg?limitsize=520,520&outquality=56&ext=.jpg&border=2,0,0,0

[VS Celica GTS]

the picture isn't showing up... I'll take pics of mine later too and post it.

[toyotarkeener]

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/1410/6212725319185804306hb.jpg

Hows this? Work?

[redlinee46s3]

Never thought there'd be room for a radar detector there. Looks good.

[toyotarkeener]

Do you think the placement is good "performance" wise? My radar detector is a cheap Cobra, which isnt gonna do much for the Federal Way Police because I dont know if they use Lidar or what, but with their new budget I think the will be upgrading from K-Band. But the town where I go to school in is a speed trap, and they are a 15member police department which still uses K-band so it will help here.

[redlinee46s3]

They all mostly use K band, there are a few that use lidar but not many. As for the performance, as long as there isn't anything in front that blocks the radar detector you should be fine. It doesn't look like anything blocks it.

[toyotarkeener]

cool, yea its clear of anything blocking it. I wasnt sure if they upgraded yet, Ive seen their new lineup of cars though. Watched somebody get pulled over by their new Tahoe. Then somebody got pulled over by an undercover Volvo by Costco, not sure if that was WSP or FWPD, but it was an S40 I believe, didnt get that great of a look.

[klutch]

radar performance=higher the better

[VS Celica GTS]

Looks good. I put mine right underneath the mirror. Never even thought of placing it above it. :)

[Jackman00GTS]

UC cops around here are using Ford 500's now. Tricky *******s. I saw some one pulled over on the freeway by an older marroon dodge Ram. You never know these days.


__Jackman